This invention generally relates to analog circuitry and more particularly relates to variable gain amplifiers.
Radio receivers, or tuners, are widely used in applications requiring the reception of electromagnetic energy. Applications can include broadcast receivers such as radio and television, set top boxes for cable television, receivers in local area networks, test and measurement equipment, radar receivers, air traffic control receivers, and microwave communication links among others. Transmission of the electromagnetic energy may be wirelined over a communication media or wireless by electromagnetic radio waves.
In a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, the received signal typically has a high dynamic range (>80 dB). In order to supply a signal of constant amplitude to a baseband section of the transceiver, a variable gain amplifier (VGA) with equivalent or better dynamic range is required. It is desirable that the VGA perform linearly over a large dynamic range while providing a desired level of gain. In addition, the VGA may also be used to control the power of the transmit signal among other things.